Sodium Content of Lunches and Snacks Provided in Australian Long Day Care Centres: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients. 2018 Feb 28;10(3):284. doi: 10.3390/nu10030284.

Abstract

We determined the average amount of sodium provided in lunches and snacks and the average amount of sodium consumed at lunch in a convenience sample of Australian preschool children attending Long Day Care (LDC). Sodium content of lunches and snacks was determined from standardised recipes. Individual children's sodium intake was estimated by a validated visual plate waste scale method. Five recipes (lunch n = 35, snacks n = 70) collected from 7 LDC centres; 95 children (50 boys) mean age 3.5 (SD) (0.2) years lunch intakes were assessed. Average total amount of sodium provided from two snacks and one lunch: 590 (146) mg, representing ~59% of the Australian Upper Level (UL) of intake (1000 mg/day sodium). Average total amount of sodium consumed: 541 (98) mg representing ~54% of the UL. Across all centres, the average sodium and energy consumed from lunch: 186 (108) mg (~19% of UL); 948 (437) kJ (38% of energy allowance); morning snacks: 63 (45) mg (6% of UL), 535 (183) kJ (21% of energy allowance); afternoon snacks: 291 (97) mg (29% of UL), 464 (171) kJ energy (46% of energy allowance). Australian LDC centres providing lunches cooked on site resulted in relatively low-sodium lunches.

Keywords: childcare; children; diet; menus; salt; sodium.

MeSH terms

  • Child Day Care Centers*
  • Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cookbooks as Topic
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Eating
  • Energy Intake
  • Female
  • Food Services
  • Humans
  • Lunch*
  • Male
  • Nutritional Status*
  • Nutritive Value*
  • Portion Size
  • Recommended Dietary Allowances
  • Snacks*
  • Sodium, Dietary / adverse effects
  • Sodium, Dietary / analysis*
  • Victoria

Substances

  • Sodium, Dietary